A Cannonball Moment : A Reflection Of My Father

Ever since I was a kid, it has been my life goal to help as many people I can. I have moved around in many different areas of the medical field, but no career had caught my eye as much as physical therapy. As an athlete, I have been in and out of the physical therapist’s office for a majority of my life. Each time I have went I could not help but be beyond grateful for what these people have done for me; they have given me the ability to play the sport I love despite all the hiccups. Physical therapy is a dynamic field within the field of medicine because as a physical therapist one can make a difference in the lives of his or her patients, enjoy job security, and enjoy a rewarding and personally satisfying career.

My first experience observing a physical therapist, commenced in the summer of 2014. At the time, I was given the opportunity to observe a physical therapist named Jennifer Moreland. Throughout my time observing her, I began to recognize she was not just a physical therapist with her patients. Many times, she took on the role of a consoler, cheerleader, friend and supporter for her patients. Reflecting back on this, I am able to see that the primary reason she has succeeded as a physical therapist; is due to her amiable, encouraging and empathetic nature. These character traits have allowed her to do more than heal patients' musculoskeletal problems. She has also been able to heal hearts, souls and minds by cheering, supporting, listening

Pediatric physical therapists work to help disabled children and their families grow and become stronger every day. For about a century now, doctors have been making a valiant effort to improve the lives of children. Though it is not the most popular practice, pediatric physical therapy is certainly important to the lives of millions. Since the beginning of pediatrics, new discoveries are constantly being made. Pediatric physical therapy has been making ground breaking developments and progressions in all of its elements since it became popular in the 1920’s.

Life can change in a split second when an unanticipated injury or disease hinders someone’s normal daily life. Modern medicine, physicians and families can only do so much but physical therapy can help recoup the life many of us take for granted. It often isn’t until we lose something that we as humans realize what we had such as the value of our body’s ability to take us through each day. A physical therapist is the person who stays with a patient for the duration of the rehabilitation process. A physical therapist leads the patient through the process of regaining physical strength and helps the patient regain control of their future. Much like many careers that involve interaction with individuals, physical therapy reaches beyond

The physical therapy profession is concerned with treating individuals of all ages. In the future, I plan on being able to comfort individuals undergoing physical therapy by being able to use my compassionate nature, caring, understanding, and the expertise that I will gain, while serving as their physical therapist. In doing the previously mentioned things, I hope to be considered as an important asset to society. I believe that people will be able to increase their viability by seeking my assistance.

That research is what ignited my interest in helping veterans. I would like to strive to help the men and women who put their lives on the line for their country every day by caring for them for them in the field of physical therapy. The scars of war never go away and the amazing stories that the veterans tell are truly extraordinary. Both of my grandparents are veterans who served in the medical field of the Air Force, my grandfather was a surgical technician and my grandmother was an x-ray technician. They have told me a countless amount of stories and a variety of things they have experienced because of their jobs. By becoming a physical therapist for veterans you don’t just change their lives, but your life will also be changed in the process. In addition to my growing interest in physical therapy, I am also intrigued by the field of nursing. This interest initially began when my grandfather, who I am very close to, became critically ill. My grandfather has always been a man I have admired the most and who I spent the most time with as a

Each month I hold a completely free dance camp for children with disabilities to help with their physical development, social awareness, emotional maturity, and cognitive ability. My ultimate goal is to one day operate my very own physical therapy practice to help children with challenges that they face in their everyday lives. This non-profit organization that I developed has ultimately prepared me for the everyday duties of a physical therapist assistant. When I was thirteen years old, I severely broke my elbow which doctors thought they were going to have to amputate my arm.

I believe that my personal and professional growth and behavior as a physical therapist is of utmost importance. I base this firstly on my strong connection to those in society who are disadvantaged when it comes to physical therapy, and also on the movement system, movement being “the key to optimal living and quality of life for all people that extends beyond health to every person’s ability to participate in and contribute to society” (American Physical Therapy Association, 2013). This perspective, I believe, is aligned perfectly with the vision statement for the physical therapy profession – to transform society through optimization of movement to improve the human experience (APTA, 2013). After reviewing the vision statement, I strongly believe it will act as my guide by strengthening compassion, reinforcing advocacy, improving quality of service, and strengthening cohesion.

As a PTA I have been given a breath of knowledge in regard to the profession of physical therapy. However, I am not satisfied with this breath of knowledge. I yearn for the opportunity to gain a further understanding in terms of “how and why” physical therapy is successful at restoring function to individuals seeking

Personal training is about helping people learn how to get active and healthy through series of movements that enhance mobility, aesthetics, and cardiovascular health. Physical therapy is about aiding those who have lost or never had that ability to gain it at least in some moderate way. There is nothing more important to me than relationships and helping those in need. Although there are several ways to achieve this, one thing we all want is to be around for our loved ones for as long as possible. A Pediatric Physical Therapist is not just a doctor to these children and parents, but they form bonds and personal relationships. To me, this is more important, having a human element to your job where compassion and gradual improvements to the quality of someone’s life far exceed the financial rewards. Working for multimillion dollar company has brought me satisfaction in ways of personal growth, but has only shown me the ugliness of people in pursuit money. I do not nor will I ever fit that mold and I would rather change one life for the better, then make money for a business who’s only motivation is making more money. Upon completing my Associates with GTCC, I plan on transferring to UNCG to complete a bachelors in Kinesiology and Apply to UNC chapel hills Physical Therapy

While I shadowed Janet, I noticed that there was a multitude of tedious documentation that she was required to record. She explained that she spends numerous hours outside of work completing this documentation. Aside from the overwhelming amount of documentation, I felt that I could potentially enjoy working in the field of physical therapy. Janet is able to truly work with patients one-on-one and it was heartwarming to see the excitement that Janet expressed when her patients showed progress. As the year progresses, I plan to look into the steps required to become a physical

I was at ease because I was in the best hands when my father sat me up on a table to wrap my sprained ankle after a reckless fall in gymnastics. He lectured me while handing me crutches and pulling me back onto my feet. “You have to take it easy until it heals,” he said as he continued to demonstrate how to properly apply my own bandages, ice my ankle and safely walk. This occurrence was not something new to me. Growing up, I was often inspired by the struggles my father underwent as an Asian immigrant fighting to open his own primary care clinic in America. However this gave me the freedom to interact directly with patients to educated people on how to promote their health and the steps to take in order to recover and return to their original lifestyles. My father’s influence and tenacious work ethic instilled in me the dedication to provide the best care possible throughout all my experiences and cultivated my desire to become an occupational therapist.

Dr. Winstein’s lecture really spoke to me, as a physical therapy student. There is so much to consider when choosing this career path, as well as so much to strive for. The lecture started with a thought-provoking question:

Becoming a Doctor of Physical Therapy has been my educational and life goal from the time I was freshman year of high school. When I was 15 years of age, my life changed forever. After three months of physical therapy for a weak hip, my physical therapist told me that I was not where I should be, and that something was wrong. A specialist subsequently diagnosed me with hip dysplasia as well as a labral tear. Fixing those two issues would entail a multi-hour surgery with 18 months of recovering. At that time in my life I was a four sport athlete and involved in countless other activities at school. I was the kid who would say how high when someone would say jump. Therefore 18 months of rehabilitation would put in a dent in my normal flow of

A few years ago my son asked me to help him build a sling shot. We looked up the instructions online and came up with a plan. I headed to my husband’s work bench to grab a drill. My son asked, “Are you sure you should be touching daddy’s tools?”